Process of making briquets and product thereof



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HATTIE STEARLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of and State of Pennsylvania, administratrix of the estate of 'ILLIAM P. TAGGART, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and resident of Reading, county of Berks, and State of Pennsylvania, who has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Briquets and Product Thereof, of which the following is a specification.

The said invention relates particularly to a process of producing briquets from anthracite or bituminous coal, culm, or other carbonaceous materials of a similar character andthe product thereof.

The object of the said invention is to provide a process and productthereof, so as to obtain briquets of an advantageous char acter from any of the above mentioned materials. Another object is to obtain briquets which are not only effectively formed into hard aggregates by the materials added.

thereto, but which are waterproofcd throughout the entire body of each of the briquets. Again another object is to obtain briquets which are not only waterproofed, but which are of such a character that the waterproofing materials will be readily removed, so as to permit effective combustion when the briquets are being used as a source of heat. Furthermore, another object is to provide adhesive materials to form the briquets, which materials are in part combustible and in part of a waterproofing nature, other materials being present to remove the adhesive waterproofing materials when the briquets are burned. A further object is to use ma terials for the waterproofing which are in itia ly soluble in water when applied in the naking of briquets, but which react to form insoluble products owing to the method of treatment by the process.

Further objects of the said invention will appear from the detailed description thereof contained hereinafter.

lVhile the said invention is capable of being carried out in many different ways. for the purpose of illustration there will be dethe same hereinafter.

scribed onlv certain ways of carrying out Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 10, 1920.

Philadelphia Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Serial No. 364,612.

For example, in carrying out the said invention, anthracite coal which has a fineness such that will enable it to pass through a sieve of 175 to 200 meshes per inch is used. The coal dust thus obtained is mixed in the proportion of seven (7) pounds of the pulverized coal to one (1) pound of an adhesive and waterproofing mixture to be hereinafter described in case the briquets are to be made by the use of hand molding and hand pressure, but in case the briquets are to be made by machine pressure the coal dust is mixed in the proportion of eight (8) pounds thereof to one (1) pound of the adhesive and waterproofing mixture referred to.

The adhesive and waterproofing mixture is made by preparing and mixing together the following constituents: A 25 )2; strength solution of dextrin or glucose in water is made. In case the dextrin is used. this is preferably a white dextrin in powdered form, which is mixed to a paste with hot water somewhat below the boiling temperature, after which the remainder of the water is added thereto until the whole of the dextrin is dissolved. In case for this purpose glucose is used, corn syrup is dissolved in either warm or cold water until the strength above referred to is obtained. A 25% strength solution of a common salt, rock salt, or another alkali metal halid, such as potassium chlorid, is prepared by adding the necessary quantity of salt to water. and stirring until the same is dissolved. A 10% strength solution of silicate of soda in water, that is to say soluble glass, or other soluble alkali metal silicate. is made by dissolving the silicate of soda in water in any desired manner. A solution of sulfuric acid is made by mixing together 95% of water and 5% of commercial sulfuric acid, having a strength of not less than 91% H 30 that is to say having a specific gravity of not less than 1.830. 30 parts of the dextrin solution is now added to 29 parts of the salt solution, after which 18 parts of the silicate solution is added, and finally :23 parts of the sulfuric acid solution is added to the mixture. The mixed constituents are now stirred briskly for a few minutes, after which they are ready to be mixed with the coal as above pointed out. This adhesive and waterproofing mixture should be preferably mixed therewith, so that each particle of the coal becomes covered with the mixture. After the coal has been thoroughly intermingled therewith, the composition should be pressed into shape to form the briquets without delay, as the adhesive and waterproofing mixture upon standing with the coal will lose some of its adhesive quality unless the briquets are made therefrom shortly after the mixing operations have been completed. The briquets may be made into any desired shape, but may, for example, take the form of prisms with triangular bases. The briquets may be made by pressing the composition into a form by hand, but they are preferably made in a press which is adapted to apply a pressure of from 2 to 30 tons per square inch. After the. bri'quetshave been formed into the desired shape in this manner, they are immediately placed in an oven and baked to a temperature of 400 to 435 F., for 15 to 20 minutes.

The briquets thus formed will be found to be entirely waterproof throughout the interior thereof, so that if for any reason a portion of a briquet should become broken off the remaining portions would'be as waterproof as the complete briquet. In the formation of the briquets, the dextrin or glu-.

cose is an effective binder for the particles of coal, and in the subsequent burning of the coal it serves as a combustible constituent which assists in enabling the briquets to become ignited, and the heat thus to be applied to the inclosed particles of coal so as-to give access for the oxygen to the particles of coal in the initial burning operation. The silicic acid formed from the silicate of soda is asoluble waterproofing semi-binder which is rendered insoluble in the process, as silicic acids are formed by the action of the sulfuric acid on the silicate of soda, which silicic acids become substantially insoluble under the influence of the heat applied during the formation of the briquets owing in part at least -to the deposition of silica .therefrom. The sulfuric acid forms some sodium sulfate in acting upon the silicate. The sodium chlorid present fuses at the temperature of ignition of the coal and under the influence of the oxygen, and water vapor present, which is derived either from the air-or from the burning of the materials present, unites with the silica and silicic acids present to form sodium silicates, thereby removing'the silica and providing better access for the oxygen to the particles of coal to be burnt.

. In the formation of the silicate of soda in this way, gases are liberated, as for example,

chlorin and hydrochloric acid, which pro-' vide interstices in the mass, thus'assisting in giving access for the oxygen to the particles of coal. The sodium sulfate present also in the presence of the coal is in part at least reduced to sodium sulfid, which also combines with the silica and silicic acids in a similar mannento form sodium silicates, and gives off sulfur dioxid', which also tends to provide interstices in the mass to facilitate the combustion of the coal. Furthermore, the sodium silicates formed, in the reactions above referred to, is of a readily fusible and mobile character, which assists in permitting the coal to burn with readiness.

While the said invention has been described in detail, I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof.

The following are the claims of the invention:

1. A baked briquet of combustible carbonaceous material which has disseminated therethrough a waterproofing and binding agent comprising an insoluble silicic acid.

2. A baked briquet of combustible carbonaceous material which has disseminated "therethrough a waterproofing and binding therethrougha waterproofing and binding agent comprising an insoluble silicic acid, a carbohydrate, and a salt of an alkali metal and a mineral acid.

4. A baked briquet of combustible carbonaceous material which has disseminated therethrough a waterproofing and bindin agent comprising an insoluble silicic aci a carbohydrate, a salt of an alkali metal, a mineral acid,and an alkali metal chlorid.

5. A baked briquet of combustible carbonaceous material which has disseminated therethrough a waterproofing and binding agent comprising an insoluble silicic acid, a carbohydrate, and sodium sulfate.

6. A briquet of combustible carbonaceous" material which has distributed therethrough a waterproofing and binding agent comprising an insoluble silicic acid and silicate.

A briquet of-combustible carbonaceous material which has distributed therethrough a waterproofing and binding agent comprising silicic acid and ,a carbohydrate, the sllicic acid being in insoluble condition.

8. A briquet of combustible carbonaceous material which has distributed therethrough a waterproofing and binding agent comprising silicic acid, a carbohydrate, and av salt of an alkali metal and mineral acid, the silicic acid being in insoluble condition.

9.- The process of preparing briquets which comprises forming a briquet by mixing anthracite coal with a waterproofing and containing silicic acid and an alkali metal.

salt, and heating the same to render the silicic acid insoluble.

11. The process of preparing briquets which comprises forming a briquet by mixing anthracite coal with a Waterproofing and binding material containing silicic acid and an alkali metal salt, and heating the same to render the silicic acid insoluble.

12. The process of preparing briquets which comprises forming a briquet by mixing a carbonaceous combustible substance with a Waterproofing binding material containing silicic acid and an alkali metal salt, applying pressure thereto, and heatingthe same to render the silicic acid insoluble.

13. The process of preparing briquets.

which comprises forming'a briquet by mixing anthracite coal with a Waterproofing binding material containing silicic acid and an alkali metal salt, applying pressure thereto, and heating the same to render the silicic acid insoluble.

1%. The process of preparing briquets L lCh comprises forming a briquet by mixing a carbonaceous combustible substance with a waterproofing binding material, made by mixing together a solution of dextrin in Water, a solution of common salt in water, a-solution of sulfuric acid in Water, and a solution of silicate of soda in ater, and heating the product to render the silicic acid formed insoluble.

15. The process of preparing briquets which comprises forming a briquet by mixing anthracite coal with silicic acid and a plurality of alkali metal salts, and heating the product so formed to about 400 F.

16. A process of making a briquet comformed insoluble.

prising mixing finely divided combustible carbonaceous material with an alkali metal silicate and a mineral acid, shaping the mass into briquet form, and heating it to render the silicic acid formed insoluble.

17. A process of making a briquet comprising incorporating silicic acid Within a mass of finely divided combustible carbonaceous materal, forming the mass into briquet shape, and heating it to render the silicic acid insoluble.

18. A process of making a briquet comprising mixing with a finely divided combustible carbonaceous material a liquid containing an alkali metal silicate, sulfuric acid, an alkali metal salt of a mineral acid, and a carbohydrate, shaping it into briquet form and heating it.

' 19. A process of making a briquet com prising mixing With 'a finely divided combustible carbonaceous material, a liquid containing an alkali metal silicate and sulfuric acid and heating it to render the silicic acid 20. A process of making a briquet comprising mixing about 7 to 8 parts of finely divided combustible carbonaceous material with about 1 part of a composition compris ing a solution of a carbohydrate, an alkali metal salt, an'alkali metal silicate, and sulfuric acid, pressing the mixture into briquet form and baking at a temperature of about 100 to 435 degrees F.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of February, 1920.

' HATTIE STEARLY, Administmtm'w of the estate of William P.

Taggm't, deceased. 

